Making the best of every day by embracing what matters most: Family. Friends. Food. Fun. And writing about it all!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Room to Grow

Everything is growing these days. There's a newness to this spring, especially, that I'm aware of. Yesterday I wanted to buy Henry a new pair of Crocs for his growing feet. Size 6 is becoming much too small, yet he insists on wearing them even though they must be getting uncomfortable. I couldn't find Crocs locally so I picked up a similar-style shoe at Kohl's, size 7. They were much too big. I realize that these shoes will fit him pretty soon and it's nice to have a pair waiting in the wings. I'll have to take his in-between feet with me to the store in Bolton Landing that sells Crocs and all the little doo-dads that can be plugged in to them.

Katie and Bill planted three young trees yesterday, their trunks barely wider than my wrist -- a Honey Crisp apple tree, a peach tree (a hardy variety for our climate), and a cherry tree. They placed them along their just-installed split-rail fence. This morning I took a photo of one of the trees near the fence, to remind us later how big the trees will have grown. One day Henry's new and too-big shoes will look tiny compared to his bigger feet, I'm sure. I am keenly aware of how "beginning" everything is for their family -- their new house, their growing family, and their new trees. I am reminded of having once had that perspective on life; it seems familiar, though I am not part of it, really. My seasoned eyes see these beginnings with an awareness of how fast time passes, how quickly trees and children grow, and how "newness" is so fleeting. I hope they stop time for a moment to smell the apple blossoms and the sweet scent of a baby's hair.

3 comments:

The passage of time never ceases to amaze me either...I remember the birth of Tina as though it were yesterday. The sounds, the smells, the fear and the excitement. It still feels as though it just happened yesterday. Then, I remember that my baby is expecting her 2nd baby and I suddenly feel quite a bit older. The circle of life ...

O'Farrell Kids Circa 1960

About Me

Hi - thanks for visiting my site. My name is Jeannie O'Farrell Eddy and I live in Middle Grove, New York. I work in nearby (and beautiful) Saratoga Springs. I am mother to five grown children, two sons and three daughters, and grandmother to Henry and Peter. Originally from New York City, my parents moved to Saratoga Springs in the 1950s and it's been considered home ever since. Five of my six siblings live in the area. I earned my bachelor's degree in May 2003 and master's degree in January 2010, both from Skidmore College, focusing on women and literature, with an emphasis on the evolution of women's relationships in the kitchen in regard to tradition and innovation. I have been baking cakes since I was a little girl. Here, I combine my love of writing with my passion for baking and cooking; the result is something I'm very happy to share with you. ENJOY!